This application claims the priority of Application No. 101 49 116.6-21 filed in Germany on Oct. 5, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a large, extensive bodyshell element, in particular an engine hood or front-opening trunk lid of a motor vehicle, having a thin-walled and non-rigid outer part and inner reinforcing structure, which has a support structure arranged at the edge of the bodyshell element or which is designed as such.
Such a bodyshell element is represented in German Patent Document No. DE 25 58 332 A1. This essentially comprises a comparatively gently arched outer panel, which is connected at the edge to an inner peripheral frame, the frame parts of which are designed as carriers having a cap-shaped profile. In this case the inside of the outer panel is materially fused to the flanges of the cap-shaped profile, so that between its flanges the middle area of the cap-shaped profile forms a closed tubular profile with that part of the outer panel overlapping the said area. In addition, at the edges of the bodyshell part the outer panel is turned over in a U-shape around the edge flange of the cap-shaped profile, so that the aforementioned flange is correspondingly reinforced and a positively interlocking connection is also created between the outer panel and the inner frame. In order to be able to ensure a weight-saving design of the bodyshell part on the one hand, and sufficient flexural rigidity of the middle area of the bodyshell part on the other, the outer panel is reinforced on the inside by a flat element. This may take the form of a grid made from wire or by punching a metal part and may be bonded to the outer panel.
German Patent Document No. DE 199 29 048 A1 discloses a similar bodyshell element, which is designed as an engine hood of a motor vehicle. Here again a thin-walled outer panel, the upper side of which forms a surface of the bodyshell, is connected to a frame-like inner panel, the outer edge contour of which very largely matches the outer edge contour of the outer panel, so that the outer panel and inner panel can be connected together by flanging and/or spot welding or continuous welding. A foam part, which serves to damp vibrations of the outer panel and preferably bears all over against the inside of the outer panel and accordingly conforms to the arching of the outer panel, is arranged inside the frame opening of the inner panel. This permits a damping of bodyshell noises and means that the bodyshell element can be designed to yield on impact.
German Patent Document No. DE 35 46 050 A1 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,522) discloses a shock-absorbing bodyshell outer part for motor vehicles in the form of a plastic component. In this case the bodyshell part takes the form of a thin-walled plastic component, the gap between the two walls being filled by a core of paper members, honeycomb structures or rigid foam. With the exception of predefined breaking areas, the core is fixed to the walls of the bodyshell part, for example by bonding.
According to European Patent Document No. EP 1 000 821 A2 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,908), a front-opening or bodyshell hood of a motor vehicle may be designed as a composite component, which essentially comprises an inner hood carrier in the form of a profiled plate, an intermediate layer arranged on the outside thereof and a cover panel arranged on top of the latter and forming the outside of the bodyshell part, an edge area of the hood part being formed by a separate, soft nose part. This is intended to create a hood that overall is designed to yield on impact.
Although these known bodyshell parts, at least in some areas, have a greater pliability as is desirable in order to prevent injuries to pedestrians in collisions with motor vehicles, the bodyshell parts described above are still not ideal, because the support structure still entails a considerable risk of injury for pedestrians and/or the necessary cost of manufacturing the bodyshell parts is too high.
An object of the invention, therefore, is to create bodyshell parts that yield on impact and which, on the one hand, can be manufactured in the conventional way as sheet metal parts, and on the other are also pliable, at least in some edge areas of the bodyshell part.
According to the invention this object is achieved in bodyshell parts of the aforementioned type in that on at least one edge area of the bodyshell element the support structure is offset inwards and/or downwards and separated by a distance from the adjoining edge of the bodyshell part and the outer part.
The invention is based on the general idea of ensuring that edge zones of the bodyshell part yield on impact by providing, on the one hand, an edge structure designed for optimum deformation in the event of impact with a human head, and on the other a support structure isolated therefrom in order to ensure the rigidity of the bodyshell part.
In particular, it is proposed, according to a preferred embodiment, that in the area of an edge deformation area of the bodyshell part the outer part be designed as a U or V-shaped profile open towards the inside of the bodyshell part, one leg of which profile is designed as part of the outside of the bodyshell and the other leg of which is designed as connection to the frame-like support structure. A beaded flange projecting beyond the support frame towards the edge of the bodyshell part is thereby created, together with a gap inside the beaded flange between support frame part and the outside of the bodyshell, so that the outer part can yield on the one hand perpendicular to the outer surface in the direction of the support structure and on the other also in tangential directions to the outside of the bodyshell and/or rearwards in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
It is furthermore advantageous according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention for a hand, grasping around the edge of the bodyshell part, to be able to reach under the aforementioned beaded flange at its leg adjoining the support frame without risk of deformation, in order, for example, to open a hood or trunk lid formed by the bodyshell part.
As desired, according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention the load-bearing capacity of the transitional area between the inner leg of the U or V-shaped profile and the support structure can be enhanced without limiting the deformability of the beaded flange formed by the inner U or V-shaped profile, in that together with the adjoining support structure the inner U or V-shaped leg forms an obtuse-angled V-shaped profile with V-opening facing the other leg.
With regard to preferred features of the invention, reference is moreover made to the claims and to the following explanation of the drawing, with reference to which an especially preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.